Engineer-Turned-Clothing Seller Arrested for Cheating Over 22,000 Women Online

Mumbai — In a disturbing cyber fraud case, a 32-year-old man has been arrested from Surat, Gujarat, for allegedly cheating more than 22,000 women through his online clothing store, Mumbai Police’s Cyber Cell said.

The accused, Ashish Ahir, is a trained computer engineer who completed his higher studies in London. According to Rashmi Karandikar, senior officer of the Mumbai Cyber Cell, Ahir turned to crime after his clothing factory suffered heavy losses in recent years. The financial strain worsened during the COVID-19 lockdown, and facing mounting debt, he allegedly devised a plan to create his own website, Shopiiee.com, to trick people into buying clothes that he never delivered.

The scam came to light when the police received a complaint from a woman who said she had been cheated while shopping online. Ahir’s website offered high-end clothes at unusually low prices, which drew a large number of buyers.

“The website didn’t have a cash-on-delivery option. All payments were made upfront, but the merchandise was never shipped. Many victims didn’t report the fraud because the amounts were small,” Ms. Karandikar said.

Mumbai Police estimate that nearly 22,000 women were defrauded in this manner, causing financial loss and distress. Authorities are continuing their investigation and have assured that steps will be taken to bring all responsible parties to justice.

This case serves as a cautionary tale for online shoppers, highlighting the need to verify e-commerce platforms and be cautious while making prepaid purchases.